Electric semaphore mechanism.



W. K. HOWE.

ELECTRIC SEMAPHORE MECH/NSM.

APPLICATION FILED DEG, 3, 190W 2 SHEETSMSHEET 1.

Qc/ITM...)

`W. K. HOWB. ELECTRIC SEMAPHORE MECHANISM. APPLlGATION FILED DEU.3,1909.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-*SHEET 2.

-UNITED STATES `Plpt'lllillill OFFICE.

W'INTHROP K. HOWE, 0F ROCHESTER, NEW' YORK, 'ASSIGNOB` T0 GENERALRAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, 0F GATES, NETv YORK., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

EIECTRIC SEMAPHORE MECHANISM.

Specification ot' vLetters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.-

Application lfiled December 3, 1908. Serial No. 531,264.

5 State of New Ynk, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Semaphore Mechenismsgrpf whichthe following is a specification.Y

This invention relates to eleetric semaphore mechanism of the type inwhich a vsemaphore having a bias to danger position is moved from suchposition to a set position, giving a cautionary or safety in ication, bymeans of a rotary electric motor geared to the semaphore, and in whichthe semaphore is held in such set position by anelectrically-controlledv detent, the motor being denergized to ecpnomizethe electric current' While the signal is so held'.v

The object of the invention'is to produce a mechanism, othekind inquestion, in which the signal may be powerfully and quickly moved inboth directions of operation, butin which shock and jar are avoided whenlthe signal is brought to rest, after such 1 movement, in .eitherdangerV position or set position.

To accomplish the foregoing object I en ploy a novel` arrangement `ofthe detentl mechanism gud of the circuit-controller by which the actionof the detent is controlled, together with certain yielding devicesinterposed betweenseveral parts of the seine.` phore mechanism, and Iwill describe these devices in connection with the description of theillustrated vembodiir'ient.of the invention,l the cessent-vieilvfeatures ofthe invention being deinedin the succeeding4 claims.

In 'the aocompanyin drawings z--Figure 1 vis aside-elevation oigasemaphore vand its aetua't'ingmeohansmembodying the presentsinvlentioh,'the etuatingmechanism be- .ing slown partly in .vertical'sectiomFig 2is a. rearLel'eva-.iion ofthe semaphore 'act-'unt- 45,;ing'x`nchenism;and Fig. 3 is a diagram villu'str'eting'the 'electrical vconnectionsbetween theseverl parts of the mechanism.

,'Theillustrated embodlment ofthe invention'comprises a. semaphorehaving the usual lio'rm 4 supported by a spectaclemusting 5.

' Theseparts may be of any: ordinary or suitable form, and the seme,here 'is illustrated as of the lewenqnadrant ly/pe, that is to, say,thejprm, when m clear or set position, is

ognwardly inclined, es vs'hown in F ig. v2,

y semaphore-arm assumes such horizontal posit-ion automatically inresponse to its gravitational bias, as is common 1n such mechanisms.

The semaphore is mounted `upon the usual. horizontal semaphore-shaft 6which is journaled in a bearing on a plete 7. The

spectaclercesting and plate are provided, in the usual manner, withstop-lugs 8 which limit the movements of the semaphore in l both dangerposition and clear position.

Ihe semaphore is moved from danger position to set position by means of:tu electric motor of any ordmary or suitable form, this motor beingillustrated as provided with :in -ermature 9-mounted on a shaft 10. The

armature-shaft is provided. with a inion 11,

, which is loose upon the shftbut 1s held to rotate therewith by africtional device. This device comprises a spring-pressed collar 12which presses the pinion against acollar on the right-hand end of theshaft, as

; shown in Fig. 1, and thus, except when subjected to excessive strains,the pinion rotates with thear-matureshaft and communicates power fromthe motor to the semaphore to move the latter.

The pinion 11 -meshes with n geur 13 which is journaled u on the reducedextremity M of the `seninp'nore-shaft 6. In-

, tegral with the gear 13 is npinion 15 which i meshes with n geer 16.The gear 16 is journaledrupofn a. stud 17 fixed in the casing 18 of themechanism. A pinion 19 is also journaled loosely upon the stud 17, and

'this pinion is connected with the 'geni-l 15 .by means of aratchetJnnd-pawl mechnmsnr' 2-ths mechanism being arranged, as shown inFig. 1, sothat when the motor operates 'the gear 16` rotates the inion19 through the ratche-t-and-pati'l mec anism, while thisl mechanismpermits-'theV gear 1 6 to rotate in the opposite direction whilethe/.pinionl 19 is vatrest, for a.A purpose which'vill (be, presentlydescribed.

The pinion 19- engsges a segmental gear .21 which is. fixed on .thesemaphdre-shzift,

and the operation ofthe geariugjust del scribed, es a. whole, is suchthat Wh'en't-lie 105 motor' is energized it acts to turn thesernalplioreeslnilit; and swing the seme;phorearm4 downward fromhorizonte-l danger position to inclined Set position, in' opposition tothe biais 0f the semaphore. y

Yifvhile its horizontal position gives a danger indication. The

The electrically-controlled dotant-mechaon the platei52.

position is illustrated particularly in Fig.,

2. Upon the rear-end of the arrnatureshat' 10 is mounted adetcnt-plate-52 which isv provided with a series of three radial teethVor abutments. Upon a fixed portion of the apparatus is mounted aplat-e122 having a horizontal ledge or abutment, and above this ledgeare two anti-friction rollers 23 constituting a detent adapted tocooperate withthe fixed abutment and the abutments lVhen the rollers areintei-posed between these abutments, as in Fig. 2, reverse rotation ofthe motor-shaftY is prevented and the semaphore is held in set position,but when the ,rollers are moved to the left., so as to disengage theabutment on the detent-'plate 52, the latter can rotate to permit thesemaphore toreturn to danger position in response to its bias.A

The 'detent-rollers 23 are moved intoA and out of operative position bymeans of upwardly-projecting arms 24 fixed on a sleeve which isjournaled on avpin 25'in the motorcasing. The rollers havegudgeons'engaging` vertical slots in thearms, as shown in Fig. 2. AWeight 26 onan arm projecting from the sleeve-'tends constantly to throwthe detent into operative position.- Another arm 27Iprojecting[horizontally 'from the sleeve is normally engaged by avertically-- movable-magnetic core28, and lthe weight of this core issuticient to hold the detent in inoperative position against the actionof the Wei ht 26. The core is controlled by a solenoid 9 through which.it moves, and when the solenoid. is energized the core is raised so asto release the arm 27 and permit the weight 26 to throw the detent intooperation.

The detent-mechanism just briefly described is more fully disclosedandclaimed in United States Letters Patent granted to me- February 28,1911, No.-985,677,' relating to detent-mechanism, which is a. divisionof the present application, and it is not, therefore, particularlydescribed and claimed herein. An important feature, however, of thepresent invention resides-inthe use of a vielding connection between'the detentplate 52 and the motor-shaft. To this. end

the plate is journaledloosely on the shaft, but it rests against afriction-collar 30 fixed on the shaft (Fig. 1) and is pressed againstthis collar by means ofv a spring-pressed collar 31 slidingly lmountedon the Shaft. By this arrangement the shaft is prevented from rotatingfreely when the detent is in operation, but opportunity-isv afforded fora slight yielding movementof the shaft when the detent is `.first thrownintoopera tion, as will be' presently described.

The illustrated semaphore-mechanism is provided, as is usual in suchdevices, with a circuit-controller moved in accordance with themovements of the semaphore and operating to control the circuits throughthe lof the mechanism, and this shaft. is provided withy al segmentalgear 36 meshing with aisegmental gear 37 fixed on the rear extremityA14. ofthe semaphore-shaft.

.The circuit through which the motor is energized iscontrolled vby acontact-,strip 38 on the drum 33 cooperating with two contact-springs 39and 40. The operation of these parts is, or may be, the same as inpreviouswell-known constructions. Referring to Fig. 3, a battery 41 isindicated diagrammatically as a. source of current by which thesemaphore-mechanism through a controlling-circuit extending to atraclorelay or other y controlling device. Such a device is indicateddiagrammatically at 42 as a simple circuit-closer. This-circuit-closeris connected with the battery. by a wire 43, and from the lixed contactof the circuit-closer a wire 44 extends to the'contact-spring 40. lVhenthe circuit is closed current flows from the battery vto the convItact-spring 4()` and if `the semaphore is in danger position thiscontactspring-ls engaged by the contact-strip'BS and the cu'rrent fiowsto the contact-spring 39 Vand thence, through a Wire 45, to the motor.From the motor the 'current returns. through a wire .46, to the battery.The detent-mechanism is controlled by a shuntcircuit also energized b vthebattenv 41. 'lo

this end a contact-spring 4T is connected with the wire "44, and asecond contactspring 49 is connected by a wire 5(1), with thesolenoidvlt). The portion of the circuit just described is controlled bya contact-strip 4S on the drum 33. lVhenthis stripengagos the springs47and 49 'a portion of the current in the Wire 44 flows through theseparts' and through the solenoid, and returns thence, through a wire 5 1,to the wire 46 and the battery.

An important feature of the invention resides in the construction andrelation ot the contact-strip 48 and the springs 4T and 49. Thiscontachstrip is of such length and so Vplaced upon the drumthat itengages the springs Lt-an'l 49 when the semaphore is in its setposition, but when the semaphore is slightly beyond such position, thatis to say. in a more inclined position, the contact strip moves beyondand disengages the spring "i3, thereby opening the circuit through thedetentsolenoid-V controller having cooperating contacts arranged to opensaid circuit when the signal moves beyond set position and to hold itopen until the signal returns to set position in response to its bias,so as to prevent operation of the holding mechanism when the signal isbeyond set position.

3. `ignal mechanism having, in combinav tion., a signal havinga normalposition and a set iosition, the signal being movable from normalposition to and beyond set position and having a bias toward normal position, means for arresting return Inovenient of the signal, in responseto said bias, in set position, means for arresting return movement ofthe sigi'ial in response to said bias in normal position, a motor formoving the signal from'normal position to set position, and mechanicalconnections between the signal, the motor and the first named arrestingmeans, said connections including yielding devices adapted to permit themotor to continue to move, in consequence of its momentum, after eitherof Said arresting means has come into operation, so that the motor maycome gradually to rest in either position of the semaphore.

t. Signal iiierhanism having, incombination` a signal having a normalposition and a set position, the signal being movable from normalposition to and beyond set position and having a bias toward normalposition; signal.controlling mechanism connected with the signal andincluding a motor for mov ing the signal to set position, and detentmechanism arranged to operate when the signal, after having movedthrough its inomentuin'beyond set position, returns in response to itsbiasl to set position, thereby arresting the signal in set position. thesignal-controlling mechanism including also yielding devicesl betweenthe signal and thc detent, adapted to yield. when the detent operates,to avoid excessiw shock to the nicchanisni.

sponse to its bias to set position; electro-v magnetic mechanism forcontrolling the detent; a source of current and a circuitcon trollerconnected in circuit with the electromagnetic mechanism, thecircuit-controller being connected With the signal so as to move inaccordance therewith and having cooperating contacts arranged to controlthe flow of current through said electromagnetic mechanism so to throwthe detent into operation at. the time hereinbefore specied, saidsignal-controlling mechamsm including ,yielding devices, between 'thedetent and the signal, adapted to yield when the detent operates, so toavoid excessive shock to the mechanism.

(3. Signal mechanism having, in combination, a signal having a normalposition and a set position, the signal heilig movable from normalposition to and beyond set position and having a bias toward normalposition, signal-controlling mechanism connected with the signal andincluding a motor for moving the signal to set position, and detent1'nech anism for arresting the signal-controlling mechanism when thesignal is in set osition, the detent mechanism including yleldingdevices to permit the motor to come gradually to rest when the detentoperates.

lIN'lllliOP Ii. HOVE.

\Vitnesses F. L. Donosox, S. C. SA'RGENT.

